gold medal

American  

noun

1. a medal, traditionally of gold or gold color, awarded to a person or team finishing first in a competition, meet, or tournament; championship medal.

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gold medal British  

noun

1. a medal of gold, awarded to the winner of a competition or race Compare silver medal bronze medal

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gold medalist
  noun

Etymology

Origin of gold medal

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

Does this all just set up nicely for Alexander Zverev, the third seed who won a gold medal at the Tokyo Summer Games but whose specialty otherwise has been folding in major tournaments?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 30, 2026

Wilson competed at the 2024 Olympic Games as a 16-year-old running a leg in the qualifying for the 4x400 relay and earning a gold medal when the team won in the finals.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 29, 2026

Rand, whose death aged 86 was announced on Friday, became the first British woman to win an Olympic gold medal in athletics, thanks to her long jump victory in Tokyo in 1964.

From BBC • Mar. 28, 2026

Now retired, he is Britain's most decorated diver having competed in five Olympic Games and collected three bronze, one silver and one gold medal.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

Only one of his 1932 Olympic gold medal crew still rowed for California, and his varsity lineup was turning in indifferent times at best.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown